1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a warning system for a vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a vehicle warning system and method that provides flashing indications to a following vehicle of a braking condition.
2. The Prior Art
It is known in the art to provide a warning light to signal stopping or turning of a vehicle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,710,709 to Morin et al. discloses a flashing or blinking center brake light that uses an intermittent relay to flash the brake light when the brakes are applied. However, this system causes the brake light to flash at all times when the brakes are applied which causes annoyance to the drivers following in heavy traffic and unnecessary drainage on the battery in such situations.
It is also known to mount a distance detector to the rear of a vehicle coupled to a warning light. U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,228 to Clark shows a system for preventing rear end collisions which includes control circuitry which intermittently activates a bulb in a warning light display mounted with mounting arms to the rear of a vehicle and coupled to a distance detector. The control circuitry intermittently activates the bulb when the distance detector detects a distance from a following car lower than a predetermined value in relation to the speed of the leading car. This system, however, is complicated and requires the addition of an unsightly add-on display to a motor vehicle.
Other forms of warning systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,744,361 to Maddox; U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,008 to Korabiak; U.S. Pat. No. 6,225,918 to Kam; U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,866 to O'Connell; U.S. Pat. No. 6,160,476 to Ponziani; U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,259 to Tonkin; U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,072 to Michael; U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,218 to Woods et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,794 to Seith; U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,296 to Sasaki et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,913 to Caine; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,507 to Hurd, Jr.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,259 to Tonkin discloses a brake light warning system which in one embodiment activates an array of lights upon depression of the brake pedal. The array of lights may be operated in a cyclical pattern when the vehicle is stationary or near stationary and is deactivated when a proximity sensor detects that a following vehicle is less than a certain distance behind the vehicle carrying the display system.
Although a number of vehicle warning systems are known, there is still a need for a vehicle warning system and method that is easily and inexpensively installable into an existing vehicle brake warning system and that does not cause unnecessary annoyance to other drivers or undue drainage of vehicle battery power.